106-101 Contemporary Culture and Media

Formerly available as 106-001. Students who have completed 106-001 are not eligible to enrol in this subject.

This subject offers an introduction to contemporary cultural studies by focusing on the media: in particular, film, television, new media, advertising and photography. These media are approached and studied across their interacting registers of textuality, industry, ideology, and social practice. Through a combination of close textual analysis, cultural history and critical theory, the subject provides students with a reflexive understanding of the media's significance in contemporary cultural life and advanced critical skills through which to read and evaluate media discourses and texts. Students who complete this subject successfully should be familiar with methodologies, both critical and theoretical, on which to base further studies in English and cultural studies.

Class participation, and written work totalling 4000 words. Students may be required to produce an audio-visual presentation or complete on-line assessment tasks equivalent to 2000 words.

A subject reader and CD-ROM will be available.